Steam-driven locomotive



C. KOHLER.

STEAM DRIVEN LOCOMOTIVE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 14.192].

1,429,596, PatentedSept. 19,1922.

i I 1] I I K I J 1o 1 Patented Sept. 19, 19228 UNITED STATES" PATENTorrice. I

CONRAD KOI-ILER, OF ZURICH, SWITZERLAND.

STEAM-DRIVEN tocoMo'rIvE.

Application filed July 14,

, as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a partof this specification.

The invention relates to improvements in steam driven locomotives andparticularly to an arrangement for controlling the circuit of the waterof condensation in steam driven locomotives provided with a surfacecondensing plant, which arrangement comprises a pump for water ofcondensation which under normal working conditions delivers the totalquantity of the water of condensation from the surface condenser intothe steam boiler.

With such locomotives many of the condenser pipes may be covered withwater of condensation, whereby their efficiency is materially decreased,when the steam boiler is filled. with water to such an extent thatafurther feeding and consequently a further delivering of the water ofcondensation into the boiler is inadmissible. This is especially thecase when the locomotive starts, at which moment a great quantity ofsteamis consumed and the pump for water of condensation cannot returnthe large quantity of the water of condensation instantly into the steamboiler as the latter during the stopping of the train, has been suppliedwith cold water from a tank for the purpose of preventing a uselessgeneration of steam whilst the locomotive stops, so that the water levelin the boiler is now already sufliciently high.

The object of the present invention is to provide an arrangement of theafore-mentioned type which operates to prevent at all events anexcessive filling or flooding of the surface condenser of the locomotivewith water of condensation. To this end the novel arrangement comprisesa changing over device interposed in the water circuit between thecondenser and boiler so that the pump may deliver water from thecondenser 1921. Serial No. 484,650.

either directly into the boiler or into a storagetank.

A constructional example of the device I according to the invention isillustrated in the accompanying drawing, which represents a side view ofa locomotive driven by a steam turbineand provided condensing plant. Thesteam is conducted from the steam dome 1 by means of a condult 2 to adistribution-box 3 in which are arranged valves adapted to shut off thesteam supply and to be operated by the with a surface driver by means ofhand wheels 1 and rods 5. From the distribution box 3 the steam flowsthrough the conduits 6 to the steam turbine 7 arranged in front of theboiler, which turbine actuates the driving wheels through theinterposition of a doubletransmission gearing, an intermediate shaft 8and connecting rods, which latter are not shown on the accompanyingdrawing. From the steam turbine 7 the exhaust steam flows through theconduit 9 into the surface condenser lOand is condensed therein by theaction of cooling water, which is supplied to the condenser through thebranch 11 and leaves it again through the branch 12 and is thenconducted to a recooling device not shown on the drawing. The water ofcondensation collecting in the condenser is supplied to the condensatepump 14 through the conduit 13, which pump as well as the pump 15 forthe-cooling water is driven by an auxiliary steam turbine 16 through theintermediary of a transmission gearing. The water of condensation afterits pressure has been raised by the pump 14 to the pressure ofthe steamboiler 19 is fed into the latter under normal working conditions throughconduit 17 and conduit 18. Inside the cab a hand lever 20 is providedserving to actuate, by the interposition of a rod 21, a three-way valve22, interposed between the conduits 17 and 18, in such a manner, thatthe water of condensation from the conduit 17 enters the boiler throughthe conduit 18 in the aforementioned manner and is evaporated therein.The generated steam is lead off through pipe 2 and starts again on thecycle. As soon as there is danger of the water level in the steam boilerrising too high, the driver operates the threeway valve 22 by means ofthe lever 20 and the rod 21 so that the connection between the conduits17 and 18 is interrupted and conduit 17 is connected to the conduit 28which leads to a storage tank 24 situated account of the comparativelylow pressure existing inside the tank 24 the condensate pump 14; whichis preferably of the centritugal pump type is able to draw cit a muchlarger quantity of water of condensation from the surface condenser 10than if the pump 14 has to discharge through the conduit 18 into theboiler 19 in a certain operative position of the threeway cock 22. Inthis manner it is at all events possible, also when the locomotivestarts and therefore a large quantity of water of condensation is formedwhich cannot always be immediately returned to the boiler, to prevent anexcessive flooding of the condenser 10 with water of condensation.

I claim: I r

1. An arrangement for controlling the flow of the water of condensationof steam driven locomotives provided with a surface condensing plant,comprising a pump for water of condensation operatively connected to thesurface condenser and to the steam boiler and adapted to deliver undernormal working conditions the total quantity of the water ofcondensation from the surface condenser to the boiler, a changing overdevice interposed in the connect-ion from said pump to the boiler, awater storage tank, an operative connection between said device and saidtank, and means to operate said device so that said pump delivers thewater of condensation at will either into the boiler or into saidstorage tank whereby an excessive accumulation of the water 01"condensation inside the condenser is avoided under all circumstances.

2. Pin arrangement for controlling the flow of water of condensation ofsteam drivenlocomotives provided witha surface condensing plant,comprising a pump for water of condensation operatively connected to thesurface condenser and to the steam boiler and adapted to deliver undernormal working conditions the total quantity of the water ofcondensationfrom the surface condenser to the boiler, a three-way'valveinterposed in the. connection "from said pump to the boiler, a feedwater storage tank, an operative connection between said valve and saidtank, means to operate said valve so that said pump delivers thewateroi: condensation at will either into the boiler or into said storagetank whereby anexcessive accumulation oi? the water of condensationinside the condenser is avoided under all circumstances, and means todeliver the water contained in said tank to the boiler. 7 v

In testimony that I claimthe foregoing as my invention, 1 have signed myname.

CONRADKOHLER;

